I shake my head, and I’m about to say it’s fine when Tim pipes up. “Jack’s on his way down now. We can go ahead and get our table.”
Kaylee greets the hostess and we all follow along to a table in a private room, which is nice since I’m breaking bread with three celebrities, a younger sister, and my future mother-in-law. Luke clutches my hand as we walk, and when I glance over at him, his eyes are turned down to the ground. I can’t tell if he’s clutching my hand for show or if it has something to do with the fact that he just needs someone right now. And I’m someone. Enter Ellie or whatever.
I squeeze his hand, and he glances over at me. I see the gloom there in his eyes, one of the first times I can really read him well, and my heart aches for him. Seeing family should bring joy...not whatever this is. I give him a smile, and I squeeze his hand again just to let him know I’m right here for whatever he needs. We’ll get through this together.
As far as first impressions go, Kaylee seems sweet, I haven’t made up my mind on the dad, and the mom is basically terrible. I can’t wait to find out where Jack falls in line with the rest of them.
Carol sits first. It’s a rectangular table, and she chooses the chair at the head of the table. Tim settles at the other head of the table. Is that the tail?
Luke and I are facing the door, and he keeps glancing toward it as we all wait for his brother. I’m glancing through the menu when I hear a sharp intake of breath beside me as Luke seems to stiffen.
I look up at the doorway, and I draw in my own sharp intake of breath.
Sure enough, another member of this incredibly attractive family stands in the doorway. Intense navy eyes seem to hold a thunderstorm of emotions behind them, dark hair styled precisely, a strong jaw that’s currently clenched with just enough groomed scruff to give him a bit of a mysterious edge, the same full lips his brother has.
Jack Dalton holds an air about him that commands attention, and he certainly has mine...as well as everyone else’s at the table. He surveys his family, his eyes just sweeping past me like I’m of no importance to him, and he strides with self-assurance into the room. “Hello, Daltons,” he says, his voice similar to Luke’s deep and rich tone.
Tim stands to shake his son’s hand, and my eyes fall to their connection. His hands are big like Luke’s, and his fingers are long. I wonder how many footballs he’s thrown in his life. I wonder how many women he’s pleased with those hands. I shake that thought away as Tim claps Jack on the back. Carol stands, too, and she gives Jack a hug. Kaylee and Luke don’t get up and it’s just such a weird dynamic to me. Jack takes his seat.
“This is Ellie,” Luke says. “My fiancée.”
“I saw the headlines,” Jack says shortly rather than something like nice to meet you or welcome to the family.
He doesn’t introduce himself. Instead, he moves toward his seat like I’m just supposed to know who the hell he is. Well, newsflash asshole, I wouldn’t have known a couple weeks ago.
“So, Luke, how’d you two meet?” Kaylee asks, clearly trying desperately to make things normal.
“She’s Josh Nolan’s sister.” He says my brother’s name like everyone at the table would know who that is, and they all do. I feel heat creeping into my cheeks as everyone’s eyes turn to me. “And get this. She doesn’t even watch football.”
I glance around the table at the mix of surprised and horrified eyes as well as a couple of dropped jaws at that statement. I offer a smile with a little shrug. “I’m a unicorn.”
Luke laughs and tosses an arm around the back of my chair, squeezing my shoulder. He leans over and presses a loving kiss to my temple, and my entire body warms. I glance at Jack, and I’m not sure why. He’s watching the entire exchange. “You’re more than a unicorn, babe.”
“You guys are so cute,” Kaylee says, obviously sealing in my instant love for her with that pronouncement.
I offer a nervous giggle, and before I can come up with some witty reply (which clearly isn’t going to happen with the sheer number of intimidating people at this table), Jack speaks up. “Probably a smart move, Luke. The last two fanatics really fucked you over.”
Luke pins him with a glare, but Jack just laughs.
We’re saved when someone comes to take our dinner orders. I notice that Jack and Luke order the same thing—a medium steak with baked potato and broccoli. Must be some kind of football diet even in the offseason.
“What have you been up to this offseason, Jack?” Carol asks.
“We know what Luke’s been up to,” he says, raising his brows in my direction. When his eyes land on me, I feel...exposed. Branded. Nervous.
My cheeks redden further at his insinuation even though it’s not true. Well, except for that one night.
“Stop,” Luke says.
“I’ve been running drills with the new guys,” he says, turning toward his mother to answer the question she posed. “Getting to know them and using my position as team captain to instill a sense of pride in our team.” He glances at his brother. “But I don’t want to give away too many secrets to the enemy.”
Luke rolls his eyes. “What you do in the offseason isn’t giving away any secrets.”
“We understand, Jack,” Tim says as if Luke never spoke at all. “We’re just so proud of your accomplishments. Do you think the Broncos have a shot to win the big game again?” The way he says it clearly indicates that there’s only one son at this table he’s proud of, and my heart aches for Luke again.
He has his own accomplishments. He’s a successful wide receiver. He plays pro football. He’s a genuinely good guy. He’s doing so much for me—giving me a place to live, giving me a job...giving me eye candy and thirst traps and spank bank material.
God, who knew that just being a witness to this family dinner could make me fall even more for the guy? I want to grab him into a hug and hold his hand and tell him that someone here cares about him. Someone here is proud of him. Someone here thinks the world of him.
That someone is me.
“More than a shot,” Jack says to his father. “We traded for one of the top receivers in the league,” he says, his eyes flicking to his brother as if to insinuate that Luke isn’t one of the top receivers, “and combined with the speed of our draft picks and the skillset of our current team, we’ll make an even stronger return. Expect a repeat.”
Luke chuckles and shakes his head.
“What?” Jack asks, his tone a bit accusatory for someone who brims with such confidence.
“The Aces are in top shape, man. You’ll have a fight on your hands for a repeat.”
“Guess we’ll find out which team is better twice next season,” Jack says with a smirk. This time, it’s not confidence as much as it’s cockiness. Yet despite that, there’s something incredibly charming about the guy. He’s being a dick to his only brother, yet he does it with a smile that seems so damn genuine you can’t help but think that somehow he’s paying Luke a compliment even though he isn’t.
My first impression of him is that he’s someone who makes everyone in the room feel special just because they get to be in the same room as him. And somehow that includes me, even though he’s barely glanced in my direction since he walked in except to make some sort of sexual insinuation about his brother.